Cloverdale Rodeo postponement raises key animal rights concerns
The rodeo isn’t coming to town any time soon, and an animal rights group says that change needs to happen before it does.
According to a news release from January 20, the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition announced that it would be postponing its event due to venue availability.
Now, the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) ā which has campaigned for years for changes to the event ā says that key animal welfare issues need to be addressed.
“We think this is an important opportunity to move away from the use of animals as a form of entertainment,” a VHS rep said in a statement to Daily Hive.
“Virtually all animal welfare organizations in Canada oppose cruel rodeo events, including the BC SPCA and Humane Canada.”
View this post on Instagram
“VHS has a number of concerns related to the use of fear, pain, and stress to make animals perform in rodeos.”
In 2007, the rodeo dropped four events:
- calf-roping
- steer-wrestling
- wild cow-milking
- team-roping
VHS said that it was pleasing to see these changes, but events like bull-riding raise concerns.
“Itās inhumane to subject these animals to suffering for the sake of human entertainment,” said VHS.
“Rodeo events often conflict with best practices for the handling of farmed animals. For example, rodeos are fast-paced, timed events, while ranching best practices prioritize calm, quiet handling of animals,” said VHS.
“Instead, organizers can focus on creating a truly animal-friendly and family-friendly community event that everyone can enjoy.”
Rodeo is banned in many parts of the US and countries like the UK and Netherlands.
The Cloverdale Rodeo did not respond to Daily Hive. According to their press release, the rodeo expects a return in 2023.
Follow Channels and Categories